Title: AverySeries: The Chronicles of KayaAuthor: Charlotte McConaghyGenre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, ParanormalPublisher: Random House AustraliaRelease Date: February 2nd, 2015Format: E-bookPages: 384Source: Given in exchange for a review

Synopsis:

The people of Kaya die in pairs. When one lover dies, the other does too. So it has been for thousands of years – Until Ava.

For although her bondmate, Avery, has been murdered and Ava’s soul has been torn in two, she is the only one who has ever been strong enough to cling to life. Vowing revenge upon the barbarian queen of Pirenti, Ava’s plan is interrupted when she is instead captured by the deadly prince of her enemies.

Prince Ambrose has been brought up to kill and hate. But when he takes charge of a strangely captivating Kayan prisoner and is forced to survive with her on a dangerous island, he must reconsider all he holds true…

In a violent country like Pirenti, where emotion is scorned as a weakness, can he find the strength to fight for the person he loves… even when she’s his vengeful enemy?

Avery is a sweeping, romantic fantasy novel about loss and identity, and finding the courage to love against all odds.

Review:

This book is eloquently written and completely captivates your heart; I found myself with tears of joy and tears of sorrow on more than one occasion. I fell in love with the characters – their personalities, their quirks, their relationships. Each one of them had a purpose and their stories intertwined beautifully. You couldn’t help but feel their passion, fear, and the weight that they bore. The plot held many twists and turns that left you breathless and wanting more. I found myself on the edge of my seat on more occasions than I can count. I read this book in less than 24 hours because I simply could not put it down. Charlotte McConaghy has an amazing way with words. When she describes the characters loss or joy, you don’t read it you FEEL it. Avery has it all.

Rating: A

Kenzie is your average coffee drinking, Harry Potter reading, nature loving, scarf wearing, plaid coveting, refuse to own an umbrella Washingtonian. She’s a Seahawks fan, fiance to an amazing guy, mom to three boys, fur mom to a horse and two dogs, and student majoring in family and child services. She loves to read, ride horses, watch Netflix, stalk Pinterest, make lists, and blog.

Can you believe it is already almost time for the Semi-Charmed Winter 2015 Book Challenge? I know we can’t! Megan, the amazing book blogger behind the challenge, hosts this seasonal book challenge every year — she has challenges for spring, summer, fall, and winter! The Winter 2015 Book Challenge is set to begin November 1st and end January 31st. In order to qualify, the books you read must be at least 200 pages in length. To read more about the rules of this challenge, go here.

The challenge categories are:

5 points // Read a book that has between 100 and 200 pages.
10 points // Read a debut book by any author (the book does not have to be a 2015 debut).
10 points // Read a book that does not take place in your current country of residence.
10 points // Read a book that someone else has already used for the challenge.
15 points // Read a book published under a pseudonym.
15 points // Read a book with “boy”, “girl”, “man”, or “woman” in the title (plural of those words is okay too).
15 points // Read a book with a one-word title.
20 points // Read a book with a person’s first and last name in the title.
20 points // Read a food-themed book.
20 points // Read a book with a verb in the title.
30 points // Read two books with the same title by different authors.
30 points // Read a nonfiction book and a fiction book about the same subject.

The total number of points you can earn is 200!

To help you keep track, Megan will be publishing a check-in post on the first day of each month beginning on December 1st. You can comment with your progress there! Megan will also include a scoreboard from the previous month on each check-in post so you can see where you rank so far.

Will you be joining Megan in the Semi-Charmed Winter 2015 Book Challenge?

Kenzie is your average coffee drinking, Harry Potter reading, nature loving, scarf wearing, plaid coveting, refuse to own an umbrella Washingtonian. She’s a Seahawks fan, fiance to an amazing guy, mom to three boys, fur mom to a horse and two dogs, and student majoring in family and child services. She loves to read, ride horses, watch Netflix, stalk Pinterest, make lists, and blog.

Not only is reading one of my absolute favorite hobbies, but it also happens that it is really beneficial! Honestly, I do not need any more reasons to need or want to read… but this definitely makes me want to pick up my book more often than I already do. I imagine that you might feel the same way after reading these many benefits of reading:

| one |Reduces stress.

Reading a book is a great way to emerge yourself into an exciting adventure and shed the stresses of the day. A good book engages you in the story and keeps your mind off of the things that are bothering you. When I have a bad day at work, all I want to do is dive into an engrossing book.

| two |Stimulates the brain.

There are studies that show that staying mental stimulation (keeping your brain active) can help slow the progress of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Reading, which is a mental stimulant, helps keep your brain strong and healthy!

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you will go.” — Dr. Seuss.

| three |Expands vocabulary.

Reading exposes you to words that you may not have heard of before. Eventually, those words make your way into your vocabulary. In fact, “facade” is a word I learned from a book that I use rather often!

| four |Free vacation.

Have you ever gotten so wrapped up in a book that you forget where you are? This happens to me constantly! If I could afford to, I would go on vacation once or twice a month. However, us readers are lucky enough to be able to go on a vacation whenever we choose!

| five |Relaxing.

My personal favorite thing to do is to curl up in a warm blanket with my hot chocolate and read a book. That, to me, is the most relaxing thing in the world. Books, such as self-help books or those with happy endings, have the ability to lower your blood pressure and bring you a sense of peace.

When you start a book, you are introduced to new characters, different settings, a new plot, and the character’s history and habits. That is a lot to remember! When you create new memories, like that of what you are reading, your brain forges new pathways. Those new pathways strengthen existing ones which helps short-term memory and stabilizes moods! I used to have an incredible memory but I have found that the busier I get, the less I can remember. However, when I start reading more often I am forced to take more breaks (physically and mentally) and I am able to remember more things. One thing that always surprises me is that I can remember characters and plots from a book that I read years ago!

| eight |Increases concentration and focus.

All day our minds are running a hundred miles and hour and we have multiple things to concentrate on — social media, email, text messages, errands, grocery lists, conversations, kids, etc. Multi-tasking causes our stress levels to rise and it also tends to lower our productivity. Reading focuses our attention on one thing and everything else falls away.

| nine |Expands knowledge.

Every book you read has the ability to teach you something new. Authors spend a lot of time researching for their books and that knowledge seeps into their books. It is amazing the things that I have learned from books!

Kenzie is your average coffee drinking, Harry Potter reading, nature loving, scarf wearing, plaid coveting, refuse to own an umbrella Washingtonian. She’s a Seahawks fan, fiance to an amazing guy, mom to three boys, fur mom to a horse and two dogs, and student majoring in family and child services. She loves to read, ride horses, watch Netflix, stalk Pinterest, make lists, and blog.

Synopsis:

Never Underestimate the Power of a Liberated Witch.

Despite swirling rumors of war, seventeen-year-old Bianca Monroe is living without restraint for the first time. With no curse to hinder her and her enemy, Miss Mabel, imprisoned in an impervious dungeon, she’s finally free.

Nothing lasts forever. The Southern Network attacks, launching Bianca, her beloved father, and everyone she cares for into a war controlled by the clandestine witch Angelina. Chatham City burns, Guardians die, and Bianca soon realizes the only witch who can save the Central Network is the conniving Miss Mabel.

Will setting Miss Mabel free save everyone she loves, or unleash a greater evil on the Central Network and all of Antebellum? Is Bianca strong enough to make the right choice?

The High Priest’s Daughter is the third book in the thrilling new fantasy collection The Network Series. It’s a haunting tale about growing up and finding the strength within.

Review:

I generally do not like to give out 5 star reviews, but I have been addicted to this series since I read the very first book — Mildred’s Resistance. Not to mention, I stayed up past midnight reading on a work night because I could not put the book down. The High Priest’s Daughter is full of action, budding romance, mystery, plot twists, and suspense. The main character and heroine, Bianca, is a strong female lead that full of wit. Bianca has been put under an immense amount of pressure throughout this series and the stakes keep on getting higher. The supporting characters all have unique personalities that mesh well with the story and keep the story interesting as well as moving along.

In this book, the third in the series, both the characters and the story continue developing and piquing your interest. Katie’s descriptions and writing are fantastic — I can clearly picture and easily believe what is going on. While this book is geared towards young adults, I think it is a great read for all audiences! I cannot wait for the next book!

Rating: A

Kenzie is your average coffee drinking, Harry Potter reading, nature loving, scarf wearing, plaid coveting, refuse to own an umbrella Washingtonian. She’s a Seahawks fan, fiance to an amazing guy, mom to three boys, fur mom to a horse and two dogs, and student majoring in family and child services. She loves to read, ride horses, watch Netflix, stalk Pinterest, make lists, and blog.

Like millions of other book-loving children, my life revolved around the Harry Potter series. I still remember when the first Harry Potter book was released. My mom happened to pick it up thinking that it would be a book that we both would enjoy… she couldn’t have been more right! Each release of the next book in the series became a tradition for us — we would wait until the book was released and then take turns reading it and talking about it.

I can honestly say that those memories are some of my favorites from my childhood. I have even not-so-jokingly-joked that I would get a Harry Potter tattoo given the chance. Not to mention I told John that, if he would be so obliged, he could buy me all of these wonderful things from Etsy for my birthday.

Kenzie is your average coffee drinking, Harry Potter reading, nature loving, scarf wearing, plaid coveting, refuse to own an umbrella Washingtonian. She’s a Seahawks fan, fiance to an amazing guy, mom to three boys, fur mom to a horse and two dogs, and student majoring in family and child services. She loves to read, ride horses, watch Netflix, stalk Pinterest, make lists, and blog.